Automatic fire-extinguisher.



' PATENTED-MAY 31, 1904 F. GRINNELL.

AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGrUISHER.

APPLICATION FILED'JAN. 16.1900.

N0 MODEL.

INVEIN'TCIR'.

WI'T'NEISEBSI 1m; NORRIS PETERS co.. vncn'auwa. WASHINGTON, o. c

I UNITED STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK GRINNELL, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THEGENERAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 761,221, dated May 31,1904.

Application filed January 16, 1900. Serial No. 1,631. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK GRINNELL, of New Bedford, in the county ofBristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Fire-Extinguishers; and I do hereby declarethe following specification, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, forminga part of the same, tobe a full, clear, and

exact description thereof.

One of the objects of the present invention is to insure the prompt andcertain opening of the valve of an automaticsprinkler when the holdingdevices are released notwithstanding any corrosion or adhesion which mayhave occurred and which tends to hold said valve to its seat even afterthe release of the holding devices. This is accomplished by providing ayielding bearing. between the valve and valve-seat and moving saidbearing inward as the valve is released, thus causing a relativemovement of the valve and valve-seat at the joint which will rupture anydeposit at this point and prevent any danger of sticking.

A further object of the invention is to pro- Vide a sprinkler in whichthe valve is held to its seat by arigid strut which is locked inposition, so that any accidental jar or slight blow will not dislodgesaid strut and prematurely open the sprinkler. This is accomplished byproviding a locking-bearing between the end of the strut and theabutment with which it engages and providing means for allowing alongitudinal movement of either the strut or abutment as said strut isforced laterally out of engagement with the abutment.

' The invention consists of the features, combinations, and arrangementshereinafter set forth in the'claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sprinkler embodyingthe present invention. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly broken away. Figs.4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are modified forms of sprinklers embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Y

a valve and means for holding said valve to its seat and releasing thesame when the sprinkler is subjected to the action of heat. Either thevalve or the valve-seat has a flexible bearing, and this flexiblebearing is preferably the valve as it is moved laterally out ofengagement with the abutment. I a 5 In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 a flat valve 6is seated upon-the flexible diaphragm 4: and is held to its seat by astrut 7 between the valve and a shoulder 8 on the frame. In this formofsprinkler the strut is made integral with the 7 valve and the meansfor disengaging the strut from the abutment 8 is carried by the strut.This means consists of a plunger 9,

. provided with an incline or cam 10 at its outer end arranged to engagean incline 11 formed on the frame. The strut 7 is provided with achamber 12, filled with a material which will expand when subjected toheat, said chamber being closed by a plug 13, screwed intothe outer endof the chamber. The plunger .9 passes through the plug 13 and into thechamber 12, and a packing 14 surrounds said plunger between the end ofthe plug and the expansible material in the chamber. When the valve andstrut are in place, the end of plug 5 13 engages the shoulder 8 andholds the valve 6 firmly to its seat, the end of plunger 9 at this timebeing in line with the incline 11 on the frame. .When the sprinkler issubjected to heat, the material in chamber 12 expands, forcing theplunger 9 outward and the incline 1O acting against incline 11 forcesthe end of the strut 7 laterally out of engagement with shoulder 8. Thismovement of the end of the strut tips the valve 6, forcing the side 17in- 95 ward, the flexible diaphragm being moved in- William....

Ward to allow the lateral movement of the outer end of the strut. Theflexible diaphragm conforms to the movement of the valve as the strut isdisengaged from the abutment, thus preventing leakage at the joint, andthe buckling or distortion of the diaphragm causes a movement betweenthe valve and its seat sufficient to break any joint formed by corrosionor adhesion. The valve may be provided with a projection 15, extendinginto the opening into the diaphragm, for preventing sufficient lateralmovement of the valve to cause leakage. The projection is preferablyless in diameter than the opening in the diaphragm, but of sulficientdiameter to prevent the valve slipping laterally off of its seat. Thevalveseat may be and preferably is coated with a thin coating of solderor some other soft metal, as shown at 16. This coating should be verythin and not materially affect the flexibility of the diaphragm.

In. Figs. 4 and 5 the valve 6 and strut 7 are separate from each other,the strut 7- having one end bearing upon the valve and the other endengaging the shoulder 8 on the frame. Vith this construction the lateralmovement of the outer end of the strut will not cause a tipping of thevalve and consequent inward movement of the diaphragm, as in theconstruction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The inward movement of thediaphragm is produced in this construction by forcing the strutlongitudinally as said strut is forced laterally. To accomplish this,the shoulder 8 is recessed, and the end of the strut is formed toenterthis recess, the side of the recess and the engaging end of thestrut acting as cam-surfaces to force the strut longitudinally when theend of thestrut is moved laterally to disengage it from said shoulder.The recessed shoulder and the engaging end of the strut also form alocking-bearing between the strut and its abutment which prevents anypremature dislodgment of the strut, and the yielding dia phragm forms apreferred means for allowing a relative longitudinal movement betweenthe strut and abutment as said strut is forced v laterally.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2 there is a locking-bearing betweenthe end of the strut and the abutment, although the abutment is notrecessed, for the reason that any 1 ies ru a era y ou o engagemen wi 1t1 tt7lt ll tf t tl the abutment. In this construction a plunger 18 isarranged to engage the upper end of the strut 7 and extends through acasing 19. A spiral spring 20 surrounds the plunger 18 between the endof the casing 19 and a collar 21, secured to the plunger, and acts toforce said plunger forward. A key or block 22 is secured to the end ofcasing 19 by fusible solder, the end of said key engaging a notch in theplunger 18 and holding said plunger against the action of spring 20.When the sprinkler is subjected to heat, the key 22 is released by themelting of the solder and the plunger is forced forward by the spring,thus forcing the strut laterally and disengaging it from the abutment.

In the construction of Fig. 5 the strut is dislodged by means similar tothe means shown in Fig. 2that is, by a plunger 9, carried by the strutand operated by an expansion material carried in a chamber formed in thestrut.

In Figs. 6 and 7 aspherical valve 6 is shown seated upon the'diaphragm4. In these constructions the strut 7 is integral with the valve andthere is a locking-bearing between the strut and abutment, the flexiblediaphragm 4 yielding when the strut is forced laterally to allow thedisengagement of the strut from the abutment. In the construction ofFig. 6 the strut is moved laterally by a plunger 18, which extendsthrough the frame 3 and into a casing 19, screwed into the frame, saidchamber being filled with expansion material which on the application ofheat. forces the plunger outward, thus dislodging the strut 7. In theconstruction of Fig. 7 the plunger and the expansion material arearranged as in the construction of Figs. 2 and 5 .and the opera tion ofthese devices is the same as above described.

In Fig. 8 a flat valve is shown seated upon the diaphragm 4, and thestrut is formed integral with the valve and engages an abutment 8. Thestrut is movedlaterally by a plunger 18', located and operated as in theconstruc tions of Fig. 6.

While it is preferred to employ either the heat-controlled means shownin Fig. 4 or the means shown in the other views, it will be understoodthat the invention is not limited to these means or to the constructionsand arrangements shown, as other forms or arrangements might be employedwhich would embody some or all of the present improvements.

Matter shown herein and not claimed forms the subject of Letters PatentNo. 691,7 60, dated January 28, 1902, issued on the copend ingapplication, Serial No. 1,632.

What I-claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-v 1. An automatic fire-extinguisher having a valve and valve-seat,one of said members having a flexible bearing, a rigid strut for holdingthe valve to its seat and means for dislodging said strut and givingsaid flexible bearing an inward movement to buckle the same.

2. An automatic fire-extinguisher having a valve-seat formed in aflexible diaphragm, a, valve, and means for releasing said valve andspringing said diaphragm inward.

3. An automatic fire-extinguisher'havinga valve-seat formed in aflexible diaphragm, a valve, a strut for holding said valve to its seat,and heat-controlled means for forcibly removing said strut and springingsaid diaphragm inward 4. An automatic fire-extinguisher having avalve-seat formed in a flexible diaphragm, a valve, and a heat-actuateddevice for releasing said valve and springing said diaphragm inward.

5. An automatic fire-extinguisher havinga valve-seat formed in aflexible diaphragm, a valve, a strut, and a heat-actuated device fordislodging said strut and springing said diaphragm inward.

6. An automatic fire-extinguisher having a valve-seat formed in aflexible diaphragm, a valve, a strut, and aheat-actuated device carriedby said strut for disloging said strut and springing said diaphragminward.

7. An automatic fire-extinguisher havinga valve, a strut between saidvalve and an abutment, a locking-bearing between the end of said strutand abutment, heat controlled means for forcing the end of said strutlaterally, and means for allowing a relative longitudinal movementbetween the strut and abutment as said strut is forced laterally.

8. An automatic fire-extinguisher havinga valve, a strut, between saidvalve and an abutment, a locking-bearing between the end of said strutand abutment, heat-controlled means carried by said strut for forcingthe end of said strut laterally, and means for allowing a relativelongitudinal movement between the strut and abutment as said strut isforced laterally.

9. An automatic fire-extinguisher having a valve-seat formed in aflexible diaphragm, a valve, a strut between said valve and a fixedabutment, a locking-bearing between said strut and abutment, and meansfor forcing said strut out of engagement with said abutment.

10.- An automatic fire-extinguisher having a valve-seat formed in aflexible diaphragm, a

valve, a strut between said valve and a fixed abutment, alocking-bearing between said strut and abutment, and a heat-actuateddevice for forcing said strut out of engagement with said abutment.

11. An automatic fire-extinguisher having a valve-seat formed'in aflexible diaphragm, a valve, a strut between said valve and a fixedabutment, a lockingbearing between said strut and abutment, and aheat-actuated device carried by said strut for forcing the end of saidstrut out of engagement with said abutment.

12. An automatic fire-extinguisher having a valve-seat formed in aflexible diaphragm, a valve, a strut positively connected therewith andengaging a fixed abutment, and heat-controlled means for forcing saidstrut out of engagement with said abutment.

13. An automatic fire-extinguisher having a valve-seat formed in aflexible diaphragm, a valve, a strut positively connected therewith andengaging a fixed abutment, and a heatcontrolled device carried by saidstrut for forcing the end of said strut out of engagement with saidabutment.

14. An automatic fire-extinguisher having a valve-seat formed ina'flexible diaphragm, a substantially flat valve, a strut positivelyconnected therewith and engaging a fixed abutment, and heat-controlledmeans for forcing the end of said strut out of engagement with saidabutment;

15. An automatic fire-extinguisher having into said chamber and arrangedto engage the 0 frame and dislodge said strut.

. FREDERICK GRINNELL.

Witnesses:

IRA L. FIsH,

R. A. BATES.

